Making your homeshare appeal to couples

When it comes to being a superstar homeshare host, we enjoy brainstorming ideas to help you stay ahead of the competition. To come up with easy ideas you can do that other people haven’t thought of is the tricky part, and often we turn to the calendar to see what’s coming up. (You’d be surprised how most people don’t have the foresight to plan ahead!) Valentine’s Day, for example. A holiday where couples do special things for each other. They take canoodling escapes. They leave the kids behind, throw caution to the wind, and pretend they’re young lovers again, even if just for the weekend. If you’re used to targeting families, or singles, it’s just a slight re-aiming of cupid’s arrow to target couples and cash in on Valentine’s Day (not to take the romance out of it or anything, but you know this is a business and all!). Here are five easy tactics you’ll fall head over heels for.

Give your place a little love

If you rent out your place regularly you probably keep up with it in terms of cleanings, restocking supplies, and taking care of minor repairs. So it won’t take too much additional effort to think about what you can add to play up the romance factor. New candles? Extra cozy pillows or blankets? Stocking your DVD cabinet with rom-coms? Maybe it’s just setting the table with a beautiful centerpiece, or folding the towels into heart shapes. You don’t have to spend extra money.

Take a bunch of photos

I mean, if you don’t take a photo and post it somewhere, did it actually happen? No, it didn’t. Show off your efforts and take a few new photos to add to your marketing. Make sure they are well-lit, focused on the details, are crisp and sharp, and make your place look fantastic. Clean kitchens, nice views, and the aforementioned heart-shaped folded towels make for perfect photos. Airbnb has a free photography service that will help you get your marketing just right. Speaking of marketing …

Romanticize your posting

Couples searching for the perfect romantic getaway will be drawn to descriptions that meet their criteria. Can you change the title of your place from “Apartment in the city” to “Lovers nook in the heart of it all”? Or mention that your kitchen is perfect for cooking for two? The point is, once you get your romantic photos you’ll want your marketing message to match. Be sure to describe your home as cozy, private, with plenty of places to snuggle, and note any nearby walks or hikes that are perfect for holding hands and reconnecting. It has to be true and accurate of course, just add a sentence or two from the angle of “Valentine’s Day.” Might even be worth it to put that in your heading in the hopes you’ll pop up in more searches.

Surprise and delight

All right, this is the above-and-beyond stuff if you really want to pull out all the stops. It’s probably not necessary, but, if your place struggles to get booked before the competition because you don’t have a steamy hot tub or rose bushes budding all around, you can create your own special touches for couples. Leave them a sweet welcome note, some chocolates, and bouquet of flowers. Better yet, ask your guest before he or she arrives if they would like anything special to surprise their partner with. Maybe you have dinner ready and waiting. You can always bill them for it, but it saves them the hassle of having to do it themselves and it’s a nice surprise to set the stage for love!

Communicate openly

Like any good relationship, open communication is key. Be a good listener. Respond in a timely fashion. Ask your guests how you can make their stay exactly what they dreamed it would be. Tell them the best restaurants, local gems, and most popular attractions. If they have specific requests, try to accommodate them the best you can. Not only will you get the satisfaction of helping cupid ignite some passion, you’ll probably get a five-star review and repeat guests. What’s not to love about that?

Hearts to all you matchmakers out there and good luck and good love this Valentine’s Day!